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Environmental
Profile of PCBs |
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CANADIAN PCB EMISSIONS INVENTORY
Sediment | PCBs in Use and in Storage | Fish Advisories | Accidental Spills and Releases | Surface Water | Air
Fish Advisories
The 2001-2002 Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has information on PCB contamination of Great Lakes fish which is indicated by consumption restrictions in the different lakes.
The Ontario Guide is available from both Ministry sites:
PCBs - Consumption
restrictions for sport fish containing PCBs begin at levels of 0.5 parts
per million, to total restriction advised for levels above 4.0 parts per
million.
|
Lake
|
%
of sport fish with some level of consumption restriction
|
%
of
consumption restrictions caused by PCBs |
| Lake Superior |
34%
|
12%
|
| Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay, North Channel and St. Mary's River) |
21.1%
|
38%
|
| Lake St. Clair and St. Clair and Detroit rivers |
36.9%
|
34%
|
| Lake Erie |
17.4%
|
70%
|
| Lake Ontario (including Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers) |
43%
|
48%
|
Restrictions on particular species are based on testing results from a range of different contaminants, so that it is not possible to determine if a restriction is based on PCBs alone or in combination with other contaminants.
For Québec, the restrictions for sport fish in the St. Lawrence River are based primarily on mercury. The Guide de consommation states that "dans le cas des BPC, du mirex et des dioxines et furannes, les teneurs mesurées dans la chair des poissons sont, à quelques exceptions près, toutes inférieures aux directives administratives." The directives they are referring to are the Health Canada limits, which are 2.0 mg/kg. for PCBs.
Environnement Québec. Guide de consommation du poisson de pêche sportive en eau douce. (available in French only)